What’s the oldest part of the Old Testament? Surprise! It’s not Genesis: it’s Judges 5. The fifth chapter of the book of Judges is a poem about a battle of some of the tribes of Israel led by Deborah and Barak against Jabin, a Canaanite king. Although scholars argue about the dating of this passage, many date it to the eleventh or twelfth century B.C. based on the very old fashioned Hebrew is uses.

One of the striking features of this poem is that two women play pivotal roles in the struggle. It’s clear that Deborah is a leader among the tribes. She is referred to as a “mother in Israel.” Here and elsewhere she is called a prophetess who judges Israel. Nothing in chapter 5 suggests that this was unusual. And then comes the tale of Jael who kills the enemy general Sisera by driving a tent peg through his temple. Gruesome, but effective.

The centrality of women in this ancient part of scripture is important. For too long the Bible has been used to demean or subjugate women. I insist that this is the result of reading into scripture (eisegesis) what an interpreter wants to find in a text rather that reading out of scripture (exegesis) what a text actually says. You have to start with what’s in the text.

So here’s the given in the text: in a time of crisis God sent a woman, Deborah, to lead a nation. Now, what does that mean to us today? It’s your job to figure that out.

Read Judges 5 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne